The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its First Cycle 2018 Major Grants, totaling more than $200,000 for projects and programs across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

A Major Grant funds projects and/or programs that address one or more of PBF’s funding priority areas – community enrichment, education and health, youth and families. Major Grants provide between $5,000 and $25,000 in funding, and support organizations that have identified an immediate need in the community and the individuals they serve.

“The level of diversity and depth of the organizations and programs selected for this year’s first cycle of Major Grants truly amazes us and we are so proud to invest in these initiatives,” said Jane Kurek, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation. “The Foundation looks forward to further developing such collaborative partnerships which will give way happier, healthier and safer communities.”

Recipients of PBF’s First Cycle 2018 Major Grants are as follows:

NEW JERSEY
Bergen Performing Arts Center (Bergen, Essex, and Morris Counties) — $20,000 in funding will support bergenPAC’s Voices in Harmony Special Needs Program at The Felician School, Children’s Therapy Center, Banyan School, Deron School of NJ’s Montclair Campus, Chapel Hill Academy, and ECLC of New Jersey’s Chatham Campus. This program is designed to instruct special needs students in the performing arts and provide a professional stage to bring the participating students together for a culminating performance on the main stage of bergenPAC.

Count Basie Theatre (Monmouth County) — $7,500 in funding will support Count Basie Theatre’s arts education and community outreach for 1,000 students at Red Bank Primary School, Joseph R. Bolger Middle School (Keansburg), and Amerigo A. Anastasia Elementary School (Long Branch). Teaching Artists will address the New Jersey State Learning Standards for arts education including dance, music, theatre and visual arts to foster academic achievement, creativity, communication, functional performance, and self-confidence.

Link Education Partners, Inc. (Essex County) — $25,000 in funding will support the Link Enrichment Program for disadvantaged middle school youth in grades 5–8 and professional development for urban educators. In partnership with Link Community Charter School (Newark), Link Education Partners will work with students to narrow achievement gaps and provide exposure to the arts, STEM, health and wellness programs, and outdoor adventure education. Educators will receive on- and off-site professional development and training and coaching with instructional and content area specialists.

Mayo Performing Arts Center (Morris County) — $15,000 in funding will support the Miracle Project at MPAC, an innovative, evidence-based program that uses theatre and music to help students with autism and other special needs, ages 9-24, overcome their core challenges. A total of 10 classes, each consisting of 14 sessions, will be offered during the 2018-2019 season, serving students with autism of varying ages and independence levels, including the addition of an “Improv for Interaction” class for young adults.

New Jersey Chamber of Commerce (Essex and Middlesex Counties) — $7,000 in funding will support New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s Jobs for New Jersey’s Graduates (JNJG) program for students at Newark’s Weequahic High School, West Side High School, and Barringer Academy of the Arts and Humanities; Carteret High School; and New Brunswick Adult Learning Center. JNJG is dedicated to helping at-risk students, who struggle with economic, academic and social barriers, graduate from high school and make successful transitions to post-secondary education and meaningful employment.

Newark Museum (Essex County) — $20,000 in funding will support Newark Museum’s Explorers Program, a unique four-year learning experience that includes access to Museum professionals, life skills workshops, paid internships, research projects, small group instruction, college guidance and field trips. This approach provides the Explorers with teamwork, presentation, technology and research skills, leading to long-term academic success.

PEI Kids (Mercer County) — $10,000 in funding will support PEI Kids’ Child Assault Prevention and Crisis Intervention programming in the Walter C. Black, Perry L. Drew, Ethel McKnight, and Grace Norton Rogers Elementary Schools in the East Windsor Regional School district. Workshops and counseling will be provided to students to prevent violence and abuse, and to mitigate the effects of abuse on child victims and prevent future victimization.

The RWJ University Hospital Foundation (Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset Counties) — $10,000 in funding will support the RWJ University Hospital Foundation’s Safety Ambassador Program (SAP) to reduce unintentional childhood injuries through a student-to-student, data-driven educational program, with topics focusing on Road Safety and Fall Prevention. High school juniors and seniors will work with 1st and 2nd graders in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset County schools to improve students’ knowledge of injury risks and related prevention strategies, ultimately to increase safety behaviors and attitudes.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Hudson and Essex Counties) — $10,000 in funding will support the 22nd Touring Season of Shakespeare LIVE! for students in Bayonne’s Nicholas Oresko School Academy and Bayonne High School, and in Newark’s Barringer STEAM Academy and B.R.I.C.K. Peshine Academy. The Theatre’s flagship outreach program, Shakespeare LIVE! enhances arts education by performing abridged productions of Shakespeare’s works, augmented by in-school workshops and other activities including comprehensive study guides and post-show discussions between actors and students.

The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, and Warren Counties) — $20,000 in funding will support The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide’s (SPTS) expansion of its youth suicide prevention efforts in the Skyland Region. Utilizing a whole-community approach, SPTS will provide on-going suicide prevention conversations with parents; non-profit staff and volunteers working with youth; “trusted adults”; and community members in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset and Warren Counties.

State Theatre New Jersey (Middlesex County) — $25,000 in funding will support State Theatre New Jersey’s Community Access Initiative, which provides arts programming for local children and families that may not otherwise have access to the arts. This initiative includes a series of free Family Movies serving children, families, and summer campers, as well as the Milk & Cookies music and storytelling series, which serves children aged 3-8 and their families. The Community Access Initiative will also utilize a new “Second Stage” space for expanded programming including Milk & Cookies performances tailored especially for children with autism and multicultural programs for the community.

WomenRising, Inc. (Hudson County) — $7,500 in funding will support WomenRising’s Workforce Development & Digital Literacy Training Center to address barriers and access to employment for women in Jersey City, Bayonne, Union City, and Hoboken. The Center provides wrap-around services for women by addressing employment needs such as internet and computer access for job search and placement, and by addressing personal needs through their domestic violence services, youth and family services, and permanent supportive housing.

PENNSYLVANIA
The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania & Delaware (Lehigh, Bucks, and Northampton Counties) — $8,500 in funding will support The HALO Project at The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania & Delaware, an intensive 10-week therapeutic intervention for foster and adoptive children and families struggling with difficult behaviors resulting from childhood trauma. Trauma Education Classes are the cornerstone of this program, teaching families about the impact of trauma on their children and providing effective parenting tools. Kids Club weekly sessions build motor skills, teach self-regulation and improve communication skills.

Valley Youth House Committee (Lehigh and Northampton Counties) — $15,000 in funding will support Valley Youth House’s supportive housing program for homeless youth and their infants/children in the Lehigh Valley. This is a growing and increasingly vulnerable low-income population with multiple barriers to overcome in order to become independent, productive members of our community. Through this supportive housing program, youth can transition to independent living, breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and their children.

2018 also marks the 15th Anniversary of The Provident Bank Foundation. In honor of this milestone, The Foundation will be making twelve (12) employee-nominated “Commit to Care” grants, at $15,000 each, to deserving organizations throughout the communities which Provident Bank serves. The Foundation received a total of 104 nominations, and selected grantees will be notified at the end of June.

The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 with the intent of supporting not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide valuable services to the communities served by Provident Bank. PBF is committed to strengthening and sustaining its relationships with communities in the bank’s marketplace. The Foundation has granted more than $23 million to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities.

For more information and guidelines on these funding opportunities, visit www.theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

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About The Provident Bank Foundation
The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 by Provident Bank to enhance the quality of life in the region through support of not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services in communities served by the Bank. Since inception, the Foundation has granted more than $23 million to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities. For more information about The Provident Bank Foundation, visit www.theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.